Beginning's Goodbye
by MoonlightRurouni
Summary: Maizono Sayaka likes Kuwata Leon. As in likes him. Probably more than she should. She didn't realize it until very recently to be perfectly honest. But she does remember exactly when she realized she did.


**Greetings all. Just so you know, this story is part of the 'Sing for Me' series. It's a multi-fandom, multi-pairing group of fanfics that are all based on a song. Hope you enjoy it :)**

* * *

**Song: Beginning's Goodbye (Hajimari no Sayonara)**

**Artist: Hatsune Miku, Len Kagamine, Rin Kagamine (HoneyWorks)**

* * *

**Beginning's Goodbye**

Maizono Sayaka likes Kuwata Leon. As in _likes _him. Probably more than she should. She didn't realize it until very recently to be perfectly honest. But she does remember exactly when she realized she did. It wasn't when he comforted her when her first relationship didn't end up as luckily as she hoped. It wasn't when she was playing with his hair one day during the winter when they were working. It wasn't when she got to, (sort of kind of) cuddle with him at the end of a late shift at the café they work at (to be honest, she had just pounced onto his back, and he carried her around the kitchen piggy-back style. With her face buried in between his shoulder blades). And it wasn't when he would tease her about which of their classmates she thought were attractive and dateable.

:-:-:-:-:

It's exactly three days before Valentine's day. She had already planned to make chocolate for her friends, and is toying with the idea of leaving him chocolate at work to find the day after Valentine's. But as she continues to debate whether or not she should do it, she gets a text from him. Asking her for advice about what he should wear on a date that his friend's had set up for him. She feels happy for him for a split second, before her stomach knots painfully, and confusion causes her to bite her lip uncertainly. As Sayaka's trying to figure out what exactly is making her feel this way, it suddenly hits her: She _likes_ Kuwata Leon.

And now she's staring at her phone in mild horror at the fact that he's going on a date with a girl that his friends are setting him up with, that he has only met once before, and she is still reeling from the fact that he's going on a date with someone that's not her and she_ just_ realized that she's _not okay with that. _

"Do you have someone you like?" Sayaka blinks as the question blinks on the screen on her phone, her thumb hovering over the 'send' button. Inhaling, she bites her lip uncertainly. It's not really her business anymore, is it? He's one of her best friends, but she has no say whatsoever as to whom he decides to like. She's also not about to tell him that she realized she likes him _after_ he tells her that he's going on a date.

While she's trying to think it all through, her finger slips and accidentally the text sends. And she would now very much like to suffocate herself under her throw blanket. Five seconds later, her phone vibrates.

And now, she extremely tempted to smash her phone to pieces.

:-:-:-:-:

Sulking to herself, Sayaka brusquely dumps the contents of the used coffee cup into the sink and starts scrubbing it aggressively. After drying and placing it on the drying rack, she stuffs her now damp wash cloth into her apron's pocket. Turning and leaning back against the counter top, she turns her gaze at the flat screen across the café playing a major league baseball game.

It has been a slow day thus far-barely any customers have passed through the past couple of hours, and she and her other co-workers are just relaxing. Ishimaru's constantly vigilant stance in front of the cash register is relaxed for once, while Kirigiri is reading another mystery novel at the breakfast bar on the customer side of the counter.

Sighing, her thoughts turn to a certain baseball player who's currently in the back of the shop looking for another bag of coffee beans. She wants to let him know, she really does. It might be a lot easier if he knew and flat out rejected her anyways; she's already used to having a broken heart, so what does it really matter? At the same time, she doesn't want that to happen. She likes him too much, and the thought of him not being a big part of her life in the future is way too painful for her.

"Maizono-chan." A familiar voice greets her, the sound of the door leading to the kitchen in the back banging. Playfully ruffling her hair as he passes, Sayaka does her best to scowl at the red head as he walks by her. It's futile though, she can never keep an angry expression on her face when it comes to him.

As Leon refills the coffee machine, Sayaka just savors his company for several easy and quiet minutes. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, there's a fluttering feeling in her stomach. Mouth going dry, Sayaka licks her lips uncertainly. "Leon…" She says quietly.

Turning to her with that familiar, easy smirk on his face, he props an elbow on the counter. "Yeah Maizono-chan?"

Sticking her tongue out at him, she flips her bangs out of her eyes, and turns her attention to the TV screen. "Nothing." She says lightly.

She can't say it, can she?

:-:-:-:-:

Sayaka feels like her heart is being torn in half. Half of it, the half that loves him, (really truly loves him) is singing with joy. He's never had a really good relationship with another girl. That last one almost swallowed him in despair so deep that she almost lost him for good. So she's happy for him. She really is, she really wants nothing except for him to be happy.

But the other half, the half that _likes_ him, (really likes him in a way that she's scared to acknowledge is actually love) is crooning in pain. She's never had a really good relationship with another guy, and he is everything she ever wanted or needed, and she knows that she would love him with everything she has. When Sayaka thinks back to the times they spent together, she can't help but wonder how she never realized she liked him.

Time and time again she relives those memories she has with him. Some of them from a couple years back are harder to remember. But the ones from the past year she can still remember quite vividly. The strength she could feel just by burying her face into his back, the scent of his shampoo that would linger on her fingers for hours after she'd play with his hair. The way that he made her feel so incredibly beautiful when he said that she was pretty and a girl like her was a rare find.

Sayaka imagines him saying that to her, only her. That sound of him comes flooding back once more.

:-:-:-:-:

Sayaka is back at the café again, this time working the night shift with Hanamura, Kuzuryu and Leon. It's Friday night, which means one of them gets to pick what movie they should play on the flat screen. It's Hanamura's choice tonight, and his choice is so incredibly typical for him, Sayaka wonders how she didn't see it coming. Wrinkling her nose at the events unfold on the screen, she returns her attention to the coffee in her hands. She still doesn't think that watching a movie about raining food turning onto humanity is the smartest thing to watch in a café as people are trying to eat.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

Turning around, Sayaka grins at the red head ruffles her hair as he passes. Snagging a pancake from the plate beside her, he takes a bite out of it and smiles at her. "You can do everything. Sing, bake, you're athletic and smart. Snap." She laughs with him and shrugs modestly.

"Aw, thanks." She says, fighting to keep a blush from tinting her cheeks. He likes someone, he likes someone, he likes someone, he likes someone and _it's not you_, she chants to herself in her head as she lets her eyes flick towards the TV screen. "So," she starts hesitantly, but with a teasing lit in her voice, "You never really told me about how that date went."

Chuckling to himself, Leon rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, there's actually a fair bit that I didn't tell you. Only because I didn't see a point in telling you if it ended stupidly." He adds when he sees the flash of hurt that flickers across her face. "The guys and I went out to eat a months ago. You know, Togami, Souda and Nidai. We ended up eating at a restaurant. And you know Souda, he's always trying to hook me up after he finally got together with Sonia," Leon rolls his eyes, and Sayaka forces herself to laugh. "anyways, she ended up being our waitress. The guys pushed me to get her number."

Sayaka raises an eyebrow teasingly, "Even Togami-san?" She asks skeptically.

Snickering at the thought of Togami attempting to hook someone up, Leon shakes his head, "Nah, but Souda was being his typical hormonal self and when you get Nidai emotional, it's pretty hard not to cave, right?"

Sayaka nods absently, trying her best to ignore the growing knot in her stomach. "Mm. So did you?" She asks.

Nodding, Leon continues, "We've actually hung out a couple times. I wouldn't really call it going on dates since they were super informal. Valentine's was really the first 'date'." He says, and Sayaka pretends the red she sees on his cheeks are just a result of light reflecting off his hair.

Twirling a strand of hair around a finger, Sayaka's eyes flick between the ceiling and the baseball player. "So, did you two kiss?" She asks in a singsong voice after a moment silence. She doesn't get a straight answer, but judging by the sheepish but satisfied look on his face the answer is pretty clear. "Awww, Leo-chan." She croons, thanking all the skills she has a singer to prevent her voice from cracking.

Smiling at her, he reaches for his phone. "Did you want to see a picture of her?" He asks, holding it out for her to see. Leaning forwards curiously, Sayaka sighs longingly.

Hair just a few shades darker than her own that's streaked with white frames a cheerful face. Big pink eyes peer inquisitively up from under blue and pink bangs as an expression of happy surprise lights up her face . The two horn-like buns of hair add to the punk rock air the girl has. "She's so pretty." She says. She's beautiful. So beautiful, Sayaka never had a chance-

"Her name is Mioda." He says with _the smile_. The one that she wishes would light up his face every single day, but same one that's slowly breaking her heart into millions of tiny pieces

Lips turning upwards, the two of them fall silent. Letting a dry laugh out at the same time something relatively humorous happens on screen Sayaka lets her bangs fall into her eyes. Forget the movie.

The forecast is calling for cloudy with a chance of tears.

:-:-:-:-:

Sayaka takes her sweet time when closing up the shop, glancing upwards at the cloudy night sky. The heavy down pour of rain drops hitting the window keeps her company as she shuts off all the lights. As she's just about to flick the lights off, someone bursts into the café, spluttering and shaking water out of his face. Blinking in shock Sakaya grabs a clean towel and runs to the front. "Leon?!" She cries in surprise, taking his soaking wet jacket from him, and toweling his wet hair dry. "What happened?!"

Shivering slightly, Leon smiles gratefully at her, "Thanks Saya. And the stupid rain started while I was walking. I ended up sprinting here, I'm pretty sure I have clothes in the back." He says scowling at the rain outside.

Walking behind the counter, Sayaka nods at the door leading to the employee change rooms. "Go and change. I'll make hot chocolate." She says, grabbing the milk from the fridge.

"With marshmallows?" Leon's disembodied voice asks from inside the change room.

"Naturally."

By the time Leon exits the change rooms, two mugs of hot chocolate sit atop the breakfast bar. Making a noise of extreme satisfaction, he sits down beside Sayaka on one of the stools. Giggling, Sayaka pulls her own mug towards her, "Someone sounds happy."

Drinking a mouthful of his own hot chocolate, he grins at her. "Thanks Sayaka."

Sayaka grins weakly back, and tries her best to hide her pain. It's useless though, and Leon sees right through her. His eyebrows knit together and he gives her an inquiring look. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asks.

Shaking her head, Sayaka looks down into her mug. "Nothing." She mumbles, not trusting her voice to keep it's forced cheerfulness.

"It doesn't look like nothing." Leon says quietly, "You know you can tell me anything right."

Sayaka almost bursts out laughing. Anything but this, she thinks to herself. "It's actually, guy related." She says haltingly.

His eyebrows rise up slightly. "Oh? Whose this new guy?"

Sayaka smiles wryly at him. "Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Leon makes an indignant noise, and she sticks a tongue out at him. "I met him a couple years ago. I've quietly liked him ever since." She says with a shrug.

Leon nods, "You got to tell me eventually who it is. Too much suspense." He says grinning.

"Not like it matters really…" Sayaka mutters, and her eyes begin stinging when she sees the confused look on his face. "He told me on Valentine's that he was set up on a date by his friends. When he asked me for advice about it, I realized that I liked him. Like Power-Up-Punch-to-the-Gut I like him." She confesses, propping her elbow on the countertop, and resting her cheek against her hand. "And I want to tell him, but the date went really well, and he's _happy_ and I don't want to mess up our friendship, and I'm torn between letting him know anyways, or just giving it time, and-" Sayaka abruptly stops her train of thought when she realizes she's babbling. Biting her lip, she tugs on a strand of hair uncertainly.

There's a moment of silence between them, that's only broken by the sound of their breathing and mugs clinking against the counter. "It can really hurt," Leon finally says, " But try to keep your head high and stay friends with this dude. I'm sure they'll still treat you as a close friend. And who knows, in a few years you could end up with him, or find someone else while still having a great friend by your side."

Smiling weakly, Sayaka playfully bumps his shoulder with hers. "Thanks Leon." She murmurs, standing to take their empty mugs to the sink.

He follows suit, "Want me to help tidy up? I know you were supposed to be out of here for a while now." He offers.

Sayaka plasters on a fake smile, "Nah, I'm good." She says as she begins washing the mugs. "By the way, what were you doing out this late? Your shift ended hours ago."

Leon grins bashfully, "I was actually out with Mioda. She was playing at another place a couple blocks down."

"Wow, she's into music just like you."

"Yeah, she's amazing." There's a proud light in Leon's eyes, so Sayaka returns her attention to the mugs in her hands.

Sayaka nods her head at the umbrella rack near the front door of the café. "If you want, you can borrow my umbrealla. I have a spare in my bag."

The sound of the door opening and rain on pavement ring through the café as Leon leaves. "Thanks. See you around Sayaka."

Licking her lips, she nods. As raindrops fall inside, Sayaka wipes her cheeks. "Damnit." She mumbles to herself.

Looks like she's been rejected, doesn't it?

* * *

_Dislike, Like, Dislike...I understand  
Searching for the future for the two of us...  
It can't be seen, can it? It looks like the one who is the crybaby has changed, huh?_

_"Torn"  
A melody spills forth, that same old song  
"Time"  
Having recounted those same moments far too much  
Forgetting is so hard  
That sound of you...seems to have come flooding back once more._

* * *

**So what do you think? Don't forget to review :)**

**-Moony**


End file.
